Hardware & Technical The Joystick discussion thread

[The Space Pirate]

I an extra axis of movement was part of what people used it for. Still that aside although it is a great bit of kit - but turning my head whilst keeping my eyes on the screen just didn't feel right to me.

Full immersion vr headsets (+a vr glove or two) are definitely the way to go for the future (and possibly by the time ED is launched).

Is that what you felt you had to do? Weird. I was worried I'd have to train myself to turn my head while keeping my eyes on the screen, but it didn't work out that way at all. For example, if I wanted to look behind my aircraft to the left, I'd simply look at the left hand of the screen (by turning my head to look) and I'd be looking at my tail (looking behind without turning your neck would feel weird anyway). Look a little less left and I'd be looking out over the left wing. The same fluidity applied to looking up and down - keeping an eye on an enemy that would usually be out of sight is a complete gamechanger. At no point did I have to do anything that felt unnatural, like having to keep my eyes on the screen while my head went in another direction.

Sure, full immersion vr headsets would be better - but from my point of view I already have Track IR, so I wouldn't have to shell out any more money and for those who don't have Track IR, there are apparently tools out there that can turn a simple Webcam into a Track IR.

 

[OneoftheLost]

there are apparently tools out there that can turn a simple Webcam into a Track IR

Meh. They don't work very well. Not compared to Track IR anyway.

Its enough of a hassle for me to just get my joystick out, so Track IR has never interested me in the slightest, and this is coming from someone who plays flight sims regularly. I prefer my hat switch for looking around. Easy. Plus nothing is sitting on my head (!) while I play.

I actually have a few games where I COULD use the joystick, but don't. If mouse and keyboard work fine, then I'll stick with that.

 

[nOmArch]

Any joystick recommendations for a left hander?

Yes I would like to know if there's anything for us lefties out there.

 

[The Space Pirate]

Meh. They don't work very well. Not compared to Track IR anyway.

Its enough of a hassle for me to just get my joystick out, so Track IR has never interested me in the slightest, and this is coming from someone who plays flight sims regularly. I prefer my hat switch for looking around. Easy. Plus nothing is sitting on my head (!) while I play.

I actually have a few games where I COULD use the joystick, but don't. If mouse and keyboard work fine, then I'll stick with that.

I would never go back to the hat switch for looking around now, it just feels so clunky in comparison. Having to wear some sort of hat (I wear an open top cap) is a bit of an annoyance, but the advantages outweigh the disadvantages in my opinion.

 

[dodgyboy]

Joystick recommendations

Hi,
Does anyone have any joystick recommendations for Oolite or Pioneer to help keep me occupied until ED??

Cheers

 

[Geraldine]

Hi dodgyboy

Firstly, welcome to the Frontier Forum and thank you for your support
As for your question, here is a thread with many joystick suggestions. Hope that helps you

 

[BacchusZA]

I would never go back to the hat switch for looking around now, it just feels so clunky in comparison. Having to wear some sort of hat (I wear an open top cap) is a bit of an annoyance, but the advantages outweigh the disadvantages in my opinion.

My first post, so first off "Hi, everyone, it's nice to meet you ".

I have to support the comments about TrackIR, and it would be fantastic if it's implemented in ED. I recently bought one to use with the DCS series of flight sims, and I cannot overstate how intuitive it is, and how big a difference it makes to the immersion, and your ability to interact with both the aircraft and your surroundings. How well that will translate into a space-sim like ED I couldn't say, but I at least hope it's considered.

In terms of the actual controller, I have a Logitech G940 HOTAS at the moment, and similarly to the the aforementioned Thrustmaster Warthog that I *really* want to buy, I imagine it will be all kinds of overkill for this kind of game, though that will depend a great deal on the complexity of the flight model and ship systems modelling.

The chances are though, that any basic joystick with 2-4 buttons & a throttle slider will work quite adequately for something like ED. I can vouch for the MS Sidewinders that have been mentioned, and can also recommend the Thrustmaster T-Flight HOTAS. It's a basic, entry-level stick & throttle combo for the PC and PS3, which retails for about $40 / GBP 40. It works well for your flight/space-combat kind of game (think HAWX, X3, etc), and is a reasonable starting point if you decide to try some of the more sophisticated simulators. Nothing fancy, but with a nice solid build quality, an integrated rudder, & a fair number of buttons you can map functions to.

Unfortunately though, it's not made for left handed players, like pretty much every other stick on the market.....

 

[Tank]

My first post, so first off "Hi, everyone, it's nice to meet you ".

Unfortunately though, it's not made for left handed players, like pretty much every other stick on the market.....

My Saitek Cyborg Evo has an adjustable hand rest that can be swapped, so left or right handed.

 

[DrBaggy]

Cyborg Evo? Me too.

Me too (as a leftie my options are limited). I blew off the dust today in hope....

 

[Cristari]

I'm not a fan of Joysticks if anything is to be used like that I would rather use a console controller designed like the Playstations controller, it's ergonomic and easy to use. I despise the XBOX controller as it puts my hands at odds with each other and makes me feel uncomfortable like i need to break my thumb to use it properly.

 

[Jumpin' Jack Flash]

Any joystick recommendations for a left hander?

The Thrustmaster T 16000m can be changed around for the left hand.
Good Heavy & Solid joystick imo. plenty of buttons (17 + throttle). and around the £40-£50 mark.
I'm finding it's got just the right tension on the Rudder/twist operation, something I haven't found in other joysticks at the same price bracket. I've had mine for about 2 years now, and the joystick still feels 'new'.

Jack.

 

[Zak Gordon]

I've never much liked most PC joysticks, they often feel too loose in the stiffness of the stick action, but maybe that is just as i got used to hardier controls growing up in the 8bit(Atari 800 etc) and 16bit (Amiga etc) era. All those home computers had some great joysticks made for them (and some terrible ones!). The Competition Pro was probably my favourite arcade style stick, and the Cheetah 125+ for flight sim usage.

On the PC it took me a while, and i never liked the force feedback stuff from microsoft etc, but i did end up with a cheap but good (in the old fashioned sense of feeling stiff enough) stick from Logic3 called the Star Fighter. It's lasted about 6 years now (and it is probably an older model than that!) and i've used it to play Wing Commander, X-wing, Independence War etc and never had a problem with it. It is basic, just 4 fire buttons and a hat on the stick with a small velocity arm on the base, but it feels solid and has lasted really well.

I just can't seriously get into any flight/space sim without using a joystick, it feels more like a console game when i use a gamepad and that sense of flying in relation to the stick is just too natural a system to want to adapt to any other method. Fingers crossed my Star Fighter works with ED, and lasts a few more years!

 

[BacchusZA]

I'm not a fan of Joysticks if anything is to be used like that I would rather use a console controller designed like the Playstations controller, it's ergonomic and easy to use. I despise the XBOX controller as it puts my hands at odds with each other and makes me feel uncomfortable like i need to break my thumb to use it properly.

I have to admit, my experience is entirely the opposite - I love my XBox controller, find it extremely comfortable & natural to use, while the PS controller isn't nearly as comfortable for me.

A game controller, such as for the PS3 or Xbox, would likely work quite well for Elite: Dangerous. In fact, if you look at some of the dev diary videos Chris Roberts has released about Star Citizen / Squadron 42, you'll see he's using what looks to me to be a Logitech game controller. And by all means, different games, but as I understand it both SC and E: D are set to feature Newtonian physics modelling, filtered through a "fly-by-wire" system, which would suggest that if it works for SC, it'll more than likely work for Elite: Dangerous too

 

[whiskey]

TrackIR support would be very nice. Was using it for Falcon4 and F4AF, coupled with thrustmaster cougar+thrustmaster elite (really, that's what it's called ) pedals is unbeatable. Also a support for multiple monitors would be nice, very handy for virtual cockpits, or just nice to have separate smaller display for dashboard/scanner, and a large display for actual view (with HUD overlay, of course)..

 

[Frobac]

I haven't used a joystick in a long time, so thank you to everyone who's made a suggestion. After a quick check of what's available, I may well go for the Thrustmaster T-Flight HOTAS X. Just so long as I can still use the mouse for selecting menu items etc in game.

 

[Cristari]

For the first time I would actually like to see a game that INCLUDES support for the PS3 controller. I don't think there is one game that has ever done it it has always been the Xbox controller or nothing unless you buy some other controller with a horrible UI that requires you to path out all the controls for the game.

It would be nice to see someone break the mould.

Hope the dev's read this. I don't think it's fair for only one controller type to be configured to the game and i so hate having to fill out all of those silly configurer programs.

 

[Commander Dave]

For the first time I would actually like to see a game that INCLUDES support for the PS3 controller.

I was just thinking exactly the same thing.
I'd love to be able to use a PS controller on Elite: Dangerous.

Hope the devs read this.

Seconded.

 

[Ref Minor]

Kempston Pro 5000, no point messing around.

 

[Alan the Armadillo]

I have a Saitek Cyborg Force and that seems ok to me

 

[Memnoch]

I have used a PC joystick in years. In fact I think the last time I used one might have been with something like Subwar 2050, or roughly that era. Or perhaps Mechwarrior 2 now that I think about it.